Point 9: Limiting Dashes

Use a dash only when a more common mark of punctuation seems inadequate.

Number nine also comes directly from Strunk and White. Although good writers sometimes allow themselves dashes where other punctuation would do, I encourage you to resist them. The reason is simple: everyone can use a dash, and hardly anyone uses too few. We will take the opportunity to practice the precise use of commas, colons, and semicolons.